In 2023, over 29,000 new vulnerabilities were assigned Common Vulnerability Enumeration (CVE) numbers. However, these vulnerabilities—which are bugs potentially exploitable by an attacker—make up a fraction of the total software defects that reach production environments.

In theory, these numbers should be dwarfed by the number of software defects identified and fixed during the development and testing stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). However, leaving testing until the final stages of the SDLC leaves little room for remediation and increases the probability that some bugs will slip through the cracks into production systems.

Continuous testing is a component of the DevOps design methodology that is intended to address this problem. Instead of waiting until development is complete to perform testing, automated testing is performed throughout the development process. By shifting security left or helping to implement DevSecOps, continuous testing reduces the potential impact of software vulnerabilities and the cost incurred while fixing them.

This article explores the concept of continuous testing, including the key goals and benefits that it provides. It also identifies key requirements for implementing a continuous testing program and ways to streamline and optimize this process.

Key Objectives of Continuous Testing

Traditionally, testing is performed by a standalone quality assurance (QA) team late in the SDLC. However, this approach has its limitations, including the limited window to address any defects before the release target.

Continuous testing integrates testing throughout the SDLC, performing automated, frequent tests instead of relying on a single, comprehensive test at the end. Some of the main goals of continuous testing include:

Benefits of Continuous Testing in DevOps

Continuous DevOps testing moves testing earlier in the SDLC. This provides a few important benefits to the development team and the software’s users, including:

What Do I Need for Continuous Testing?

Continuous testing can be highly beneficial for a development team and the enterprise as a whole. However, it must be supported by the right infrastructure and DevOps testing tools to be successful. Some key requirements for continuous testing include:

Optimizing the Continuous Testing Process

Continuous testing applies the DevOps mentality to the process of ensuring code quality. Instead of engaging in a monolithic testing phase at the end of the SDLC, tests are automated and performed regularly. This process enables defects to be addressed promptly with minimal resource utilization and impact on release timelines.

A&I makes it easier for development teams to embrace continuous testing and streamline the testing process with industry-leading solutions by Broadcom. You can streamline your team’s testing process with:

• Agile Requirements Designer: Visually define software requirements and automatically create the minimal set of tests required to fully validate software quality.
• Test Data Manager: Automatically collect or generate test data while properly securing PII and filling gaps in existing datasets.
• Service Virtualization: Accurately emulate the behavior of unavailable services to ensure realism during the continuous testing process.

To learn more about how A&I can enhance your development process, talk to an A&I team member today. See the potential benefits for yourself by booking a free demo.